Leviticus

Sacrifices of Atonement

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

“Speak to the people of Israel and say: Anyone may sin without intending to do so against any of the commandments of the Lord and do one of the forbidden things; in such a case:

If the anointed priest sins, it defiles the people. For the sin he has committed, he must offer to the Lord a young bull, an unblemished animal from the herd, as a sacrifice for sin.

He must bring the bull before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, lay his hand on its head, and kill it before the Lord.

Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting.

He shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it over the veil of the Sanctuary seven times before the Lord.

Next, the priest shall put a little of the bull’s blood on the corners of the altar of incense that sends up the smoke before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting, and he is to pour all the remaining blood of the bull at the foot of the altar for burnt offerings located at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

From this bull offered as a sacrifice for sin, the priest will remove all the fat: the fat covering the internal organs, all the fat found on the internal organs,

the two kidneys, the fat on them and the loins, and the best part to be removed from the liver and kidneys,

just as was done with what was set apart in the peace offering. The priest shall burn these on the altar for burnt offerings.

The bull’s skin, along with its flesh, head, legs, internal organs, and intestines,

the entire bull, must be carried beyond the camp to a clean location, where the ashes from the fat are disposed of, and the bull must be burned there.

If the entire community of Israel sins unintentionally and without awareness of committing something forbidden by the Lord’s commandments,

they are to offer a young bull as a sin offering, a flawless animal from the herd, as soon as the sin they committed is recognized.

The animal must be brought to the Tent of Meeting; the community elders will lay their hands on the bull’s head in the Lord’s presence, and it must be slaughtered before the Lord.

Then the anointed priest is to carry a small amount of the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting.

He is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it on the veil before the Lord seven times.

Then he shall place a bit of the blood on the corners of the altar that stands before the Lord inside the Tent of Meeting, and pour out the remainder of the blood at the foot of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Then the priest shall remove all the fat from the animal and burn it on the altar.

He shall perform the same actions with this bull as he did with the bull for the sin offering. When the priest has carried out the sacrifice for the people’s sins, they will be forgiven.

The priest must have the bull taken out of the camp and burn it just as he burned the first one. This is the community’s sin offering.

When a leader sins and unintentionally commits one of the acts forbidden by the commandments of the Lord his God, thus becoming guilty,

and afterward he remembers it, or someone points out the sin he has committed, he is to bring a goat as an offering, a male without any defect.

He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and kill it in the same place where the animals for the burnt offerings are killed. This is a sacrifice for sin:

The priest shall take a little of the goat’s blood on his finger and put it on the corners of the altar for burnt offerings. Then he shall pour out its blood at the base of the altar for burnt offerings

and burn all the fat on the altar, as with the fat in the peace offering. This is how the priest is to offer the sacrifice for the sin of this leader to cleanse him from his sin, and he will be forgiven.

If someone sins unintentionally and becomes guilty by doing something forbidden by the Lord’s commandments,

and later remembers it or someone points out their sin, they should bring a female goat without defect as an offering.

They should lay their hand on the goat’s head and kill it at the place where the burnt offerings are slaughtered.

The priest shall take a little of the goat’s blood with his finger and put it on the corners of the altar for burnt offerings. Then he shall pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.

He shall remove all the fat, as was done in the peace offering, and burn it on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. This is how the priest should offer the sacrifice for the man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.

If anyone wants to bring a lamb as an offering for this type of sacrifice, he must bring a female without any defects.

He should lay his hand on the lamb’s head and kill it as a sin offering in the same place where the animals for the burnt offerings are slaughtered.

The priest shall take a little of the blood from this sacrifice on his finger and put it on the corners of the altar for burnt offerings. Then he shall pour out the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar.

He shall remove its fat, just as was done for the sheep in the peace offering, and the priest shall burn it all on the altar, in addition to the burnt offering for the Lord. This is how the priest should offer the sacrifice for the man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.